Slovenia men's national ice hockey team

The Slovenian men's national ice hockey team is controlled by the Ice Hockey Federation of Slovenia. The team is currently ranked 18th in the world by the International Ice Hockey Federation as of the 2019 IIHF World Ranking. Their best record is 13th place at the Ice Hockey World Championships, while their highest IIHF ranking is 12th place.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

Slovenia
The official logo of the Ice Hockey Federation of Slovenia.
Nickname(s)Risi (The Lynx)
AssociationIce Hockey Federation of Slovenia
Head coachMatjaž Kopitar
AssistantsKari Savolainen
CaptainAnže Kopitar
Most gamesTomaž Razingar (212)
Most pointsTomaž Vnuk (171)
Team colors     
IIHF codeSLO
Ranking
Current IIHF20 2 (24 April 2020)[1]
Highest IIHF12 (2014)
Lowest IIHF19 (2010)
First international
Austria  1–0  Slovenia
(Klagenfurt, Austria; 20 March 1992)
Biggest win
Slovenia  29–0  South Africa
(Ljubljana, Slovenia; 15 March 1993)
Biggest defeat
Finland  12–0  Slovenia
(Tampere, Finland; 28 April 2003)
IIHF World Championships
Appearances27 (first in 2002)
Best result13th (2002 and 2005)
Olympics
Appearances2 (first in 2014)

Six players from Slovenia have been drafted into the NHL since 1998; Anže Kopitar and Jan Muršak have played in the league.[9]

History
Slovenian players at the 2008 World Championship, where they finished fifteenth.

As a member of Yugoslavia, Slovenia had been a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) since 1939 and participated in several World Championships and five Winter Olympics. Many of the players on the Yugoslav national team came from Slovenia: from 1939, when Yugoslavia first played a World Championship, to 1991 when it was broken up, 91% of all players on the national team were Slovene, and the entire roster for the team at the 1984 Winter Olympics, held in the Yugoslav city of Sarajevo were from Slovenia.[10]

Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, and joined the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) in 1992 along with Croatia and several former Soviet republics. They first played as an independent nation at the 1993 World Championship, hosting the Group C tournament, the lowest tier.[11] They reached the elite division for the first time in 2002 IIHF World Championship. They played at their first Winter Olympics at the 2014 Sochi Games.[12]

Tournament record

Olympic Games
Year Round Position GP W OW OL L GS GA
1964–1984 Part of Yugoslavia
1992Did not enter
1994
1998Did not qualify
2002
2006
2010
2014Quarter-finals7th520031016
2018Playoffs9th40211914
2022To be determined
Total2/70 Titles922141930

World Championship
Championship GP W OW T OL L GF GA Coach Captain Finish Rank
1920 – 1992Part of Yugoslavia
1993 Zagreb and Ljubljana, Pool C 2 2 0 0 0 0 22 3 Rudi Hiti 5th in Pool C 25th
1994 Poprad and Spišská Nová Ves, Pool C 6 2 0 0 0 4 26 27 Rudi Hiti 5th in Pool C 25th
1995 Sofia, Pool C 4 2 0 0 0 2 28 15 Rudi Hiti 7th in Pool C 27th
1996 Jesenice and Kranj, Pool C 7 5 0 2 0 1 41 19 Vladimir Krikunov 3rd in Pool C 22nd
1997 Tallinn and Kohtla-Järve, Pool C 6 3 0 2 0 1 27 11 Pavle Kavčič 2nd in Pool C 22nd
1998 Ljubljana and Jesenice, Pool B 7 5 0 1 0 1 28 15 Pavle Kavčič 2nd in Pool B 18th
1999 Odense and Rodovre, Pool B 7 2 0 1 0 4 14 17 Pavle Kavčič 5th in Pool B 21st
2000 Katowice and Krakow, Pool B 7 0 0 2 0 5 16 31 Rudi Hiti 7th in Pool B 23rd
2001 Ljubljana, Division IB 5 4 0 1 0 0 44 6 Matjaž Sekelj Winner, Promoted 17th
2002 Gothenburg, Karlstad, Jönköping 6 3 0 0 0 3 18 26 Matjaž Sekelj Consolation Round 13th
2003 Helsinki, Tampere, Turku 6 0 0 1 0 5 12 37 Matjaž Sekelj Consolation Round 15th
2004 Gdańsk, Division IB 5 5 0 0 0 0 33 5 Kari Savolainen Winner, Promoted 17th
2005 Vienna, Innsbruck 6 2 0 0 0 4 12 32 Kari Savolainen Relegation round 13th
2006 Riga 6 0 0 2 0 4 14 26 František Výborný Relegation round 16th
2007 Ljubljana, Division IB 5 5 0 – 0 0 29 5 Ted Sator Marcel Rodman Winner, Promoted 17th
2008 Quebec City, Halifax 5 0 0 – 0 5 6 22 Mats Waltin Relegation Round 15th
2009 Vilnius, Division IA 5 4 0 – 0 1 21 7 John Harrington Promoted, 2nd 19th
2010 Ljubljana, Division IB 5 4 1 – 0 0 29 10 John Harrington Tomaž Razingar Winner, Promoted 18th
2011 Bratislava, Košice 6 1 0 – 1 4 15 24 Matjaž Kopitar Tomaž Razingar Relegation round 16th
2012 Ljubljana, Division IA 5 5 0 – 0 0 17 9 Matjaž Kopitar Tomaž Razingar Winner, Promoted 17th
2013 Stockholm, Helsinki 7 0 0 – 2 5 12 27 Matjaž Kopitar Tomaž Razingar Group stage 16th
2014 Goyang, Division IA 5 4 0 – 0 1 15 6 Matjaž Kopitar Tomaž Razingar Winner, Promoted 17th
2015 Prague, Ostrava 7 1 0 – 0 6 9 22 Matjaž Kopitar Tomaž Razingar Group stage 16th
2016 Katowice, Division IA 5 4 0 – 0 1 18 8 Nik Zupančič Jan Urbas Winner, Promoted 17th
2017 Cologne, Paris 7 0 0 – 1 6 13 36 Nik Zupančič Jan Muršak Group stage 15th
2018 Budapest, Division IA 5 2 0 – 0 3 15 15 Kari Savolainen Jan Urbas 5th in Division IA 21st
2019 Nur-Sultan, Division IA 5 2 0 – 0 3 21 12 Ivo Jan Anže Kopitar 4th in Division IA 20th
2020 Ljubljana, Division IA Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[13]
2021 Ljubljana, Division IA Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[14]

Team

Current roster

The following is the Slovenian roster for the men's ice hockey tournament at the 2018 Winter Olympics.[15]

Head coach: Kari Savolainen     Assistant coaches: Nik Zupančič, Edo Terglav

No. Pos. Name Height Weight Birthdate Birthplace 2017–18 team
8FŽiga Jeglič1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)80 kg (180 lb)24 February 1988Kranj, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk (KHL)
12FDavid Rodman1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)83 kg (183 lb)10 September 1983Jesenice, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia Brûleurs de Loups (Ligue Magnus)
14DMatic Podlipnik1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)85 kg (187 lb)9 August 1992Jesenice Energie Karlovy Vary (WSM Liga)
15DBlaž Gregorc1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)94 kg (207 lb)18 January 1990Jesenice, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia Mountfield HK (ELH)
16FAleš Mušič1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)83 kg (183 lb)28 June 1982Ljubljana, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia Alba Volán Székesfehérvár (EBEL)
17DŽiga Pavlin1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)95 kg (209 lb)30 April 1985Kranj, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia Motor České Budějovice (WSM Liga)
18FKen Ograjenšek1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)82 kg (181 lb)30 August 1991Celje Graz 99ers (EBEL)
19FŽiga Pance1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)92 kg (203 lb)1 January 1989Ljubljana, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia Dornbirner EC (EBEL)
22FMarcel Rodman1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)85 kg (187 lb)25 September 1981Jesenice, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia EC Bad Tolz (Oberliga)
23DLuka Vidmar1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)90 kg (200 lb)17 May 1986Ljubljana, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia Alba Volán Székesfehérvár (EBEL)
24FRok Tičar – A1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)83 kg (183 lb)3 May 1989Jesenice, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia Sibir Novosibirsk (KHL)
26FJan Urbas1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)98 kg (216 lb)26 January 1989Ljubljana, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia Fischtown Pinguins (DEL)
28DAleš Kranjc1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)92 kg (203 lb)29 July 1983Jesenice, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia ETC Crimmitschau (DEL2)
32GGašper Krošelj1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)88 kg (194 lb)9 February 1987Ljubljana, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia Rødovre Mighty Bulls (Metal Ligaen)
39FJan Muršak – C1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)84 kg (185 lb)20 January 1988Maribor, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia Frolunda HC (SHL)
40GLuka Gračnar1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)83 kg (183 lb)31 October 1993Jesenice EC Red Bull Salzburg (EBEL)
51DMitja Robar – A1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)85 kg (187 lb)4 January 1983Maribor, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia EC KAC (EBEL)
55FRobert Sabolič1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)90 kg (200 lb)18 September 1988Jesenice, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia Torpedo Nizhni Novgorod (KHL)
61DJurij Repe1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)88 kg (194 lb)17 September 1994Kranj Rytiri Kladno (WSM Liga)
69GMatija Pintarič1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)83 kg (183 lb)11 August 1989Maribor, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia Rouen Dragons (Ligue Magnus)
71FBoštjan Goličič1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)89 kg (196 lb)12 June 1989Kranj, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia Brûleurs de Loups (Ligue Magnus)
84FAndrej Hebar1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)83 kg (183 lb)7 September 1984Ljubljana, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia Olimpija (AlpsHL)
86DSabahudin Kovačević1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)95 kg (209 lb)26 February 1986Jesenice, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia Energie Karlovy Vary (WSM Liga)
91FMiha Verlič1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)85 kg (187 lb)21 August 1991Maribor EC VSV (EBEL)
92FAnže Kuralt1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)85 kg (187 lb)31 October 1991Kranj Gothiques d'Amiens (Ligue Magnus)

Coaching history
Slovenia (in white), shakes hands with Russia at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

NHL Entry Draft

Players from Slovenia selected in the NHL Entry Draft

YearNameOverallTeam
1998Edo Terglav249th overallBuffalo Sabres
2000Jure Penko203rd overallNashville Predators
2001Marcel Rodman282nd overallBoston Bruins
2005Anže Kopitar11th overallLos Angeles Kings
2006Jan Muršak182nd overallDetroit Red Wings
2017Jan Drozg152nd overallPittsburgh Penguins

References
  1. "IIHF Men's World Ranking". IIHF. 24 April 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  2. Greg Wyshynski (18 February 2014). "Slovenia's miracle on ice continues; Swedes up next for 'Slovenderella'". Yahoo!. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  3. "Slovenia hockey becoming feel-good story of 2014 Winter Olympic ice hockey with quarter-final berth | The National". The National. Abu Dhabi. 18 February 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  4. "Slovenia's ice hockey team secure Olympic berth". Sloveniatimes.com. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  5. "Devoted Coach and Gifted Son Lead Slovenia to Hockey Heights". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  6. "Ice hockey: Slovenia extend magical run into quarters | SBS News". Sbs.com.au. 18 February 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  7. "STA: Slovenia's ice hockey team secure Olympic berth". English.sta.si. 4 September 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  8. "News". Slovenia.si. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  9. Mitja Lisjak (24 June 2017). "Po 11 letih na naboru Lige NHL spet izbran Slovenec" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  10. Manninen, Henrik (4 February 2014). "A Slovenian send-off". IIHF.com. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  11. IIHF (2008). "Breakup of old Europe creates a new hockey world". IIHF.com. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  12. "Sochi: Slovenian Hockey Team Making History". Slovenia Times. SloveniaTimes.com. 6 February 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  13. "IIHF cancels Division I tournaments". iihf.com. 17 March 2019.
  14. "IIHF – IIHF Council announces more cancellations". International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  15. "Slovenia's selection". IIHF. 20 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
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